In This Issue...

• Invitation to Attend the 2026 Scholar to Scholar: Graduate Project Showcase
• Save the Dates: Graduate & Professional Student Appreciation Week
• Funding Update & Opportunities
• Personal Finance Webinars from PNC
• Family Business Initiatives Speaker Series
• LinkedIn Training Opportunity
• Graduate Student Resources, including Spring 2026 CaPS Groups
• Campus Partner Spotlight: Counseling & Psychological Services (CaPS)
• Graduate Student Spotlights: Joseph Garcia (Dietrich College) and Viharika Mandappa Appaneravanda (Tepper School of Business)

Personal Finance Webinars from PNC

This semester, PNC is offering a selection of personal finance webinars for CMU students. If you have any questions about these webinars, please email finwell@andrew.cmu.edu.

Preparing for a Financial Emergency

Thursday, March 26, 4:00 p.m.

Learn how to incorporate an emergency fund into your planning and how to adjust your budget to weather the unexpected. Register here.

Identity Theft

Thursday, April 9, 4:00 p.m.

Learn how identity thieves can steal your personal information, what’s at risk when they do and how to recognize common scams. Register here.

Debt Management

Thursday, April 23, 4:00 p.m.

Learn to build a budget, explore different debt management strategies and create a plan for reducing your debt and improving your credit score. Register here.

Family Business Initiative Speaker Series 

On March 12, the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship will host Michael Bernstein, Managing Partner, Woodland Management & Partners Edge Fund, as part of its Family Business Initiative Speaker Series. More information is available via the QR code below.

LinkedIn Training Opportunity

Want to make your LinkedIn profile stand out? Join LinkedIn Success Manager Sarah Viner to learn how to strategically use LinkedIn and LinkedIn Learning to support your internship and job search, build relevant skills, and expand your professional network through this virtual event:

Jobs & Internships are Still Out There: Find Yours with LinkedIn 

Wednesday, March 18

4:00 - 5:00 p.m. on Zoom

Register today via Handshake

Mark Your Calendars

Explore these calendars to stay up to date on upcoming and ongoing events on campus!



• CMU Events Calendar
• University Lecture Series
• Graduate Student Assembly (GSA) Event Calendar
• University Libraries Workshop Calendar

For a full list of student organizations and events of all kinds, be sure to explore TartanConnect, CMU's official campus engagement platform.

Graduate Student Handbook Suite

All programs at Carnegie Mellon are required to provide handbooks to their students. The Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs is pleased to offer the Graduate Student Handbook Suite, which encompasses the following:

--Your program and/or college handbook (distributed by your department)

--The University-Wide Graduate Student Handbook

--The Word Student Handbook

Each of these handbooks provides important information about policies, procedures, expectations, and resources that are available to holistically support your graduate experience. Be sure to take some time to read through them and familiarize yourself with the content. They will be an important resource throughout your time at Carnegie Mellon.

Individual Development Plan (IDP) for Doctoral Students

Individual Development Plans (IDPs) are meant to promote academic, professional, and personal growth by formally documenting goals and facilitating dialogue, collaboration, and accountability between advisors and advisees. You can access the doctoral IDP template here.

Need More Resources?

Visit the website for the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs to learn more about career resources, family care resources, and more. You can also find past issues of The Graduate Student News from this academic year here.

Counseling & Psychological Services (CaPS) 

Location: Highmark Center for Health, Wellness, & Athletics, 4th floor

Contact: Visit the office or call (412) 268-2922. Join the CaPS email list here.



Briefly describe what your office does.

CaPS serves all students and offers a number of specific programs and services for graduate students. We provide a safe, confidential environment to talk about personal or academic concerns. We assist students who need to connect with mental health resources in the community and support staff, faculty, and family members who have concerns about the well-being of a student.  

What services and support do you offer to graduate students?

CaPS offers a variety of services including: Initial Consultation appointments, Brief Individual Therapy, Groups & Workshops, Referral Support, Psychiatry, Same-Day Urgent appointments, After-Hours Phone Support, Gender-Affirming Clinic, and Mental Health Education & Training. Please visit the CaPS website for more information about our services. 

CaPS also partners with TimelyCare, which is a FREE virtual health platform that offers mental health services to students. Please visit the TimelyCare website for more information. Graduate students can use TimelyCare internationally and outside of Pittsburgh, and it also offers services during the evenings and weekends. 

Important things to know about CaPS:

• We work with graduate students every day. You are not alone!
• We provide after-hours phone support 24/7; students can call our phone number (412) 268-2922, press #1, and speak to a clinician.
• Our services are free except for psychiatry. 
• All of our services are confidential, and coming to CaPS will not be reflected on your academic transcript. 

Can you suggest some resources (within or beyond your office) that might be of interest to graduate students?

CMU’s Highmark Student Health Insurance covers in-network counseling in full (no copay, no deductible) and with no session limit (you can go for as long as you want/need and will not have to pay anything for services). This means that you can find your own therapist in the community, outside of the counseling center. For more information, visit the CaPS Resources page and scroll down to the “Provider Search” section. CaPS can also help with finding services in the community of Pittsburgh. 

Are you offering any upcoming events or programs of interest to graduate students?

We are currently offering a PhD virtual support group, and there are other groups that graduate students can engage in and benefit from. 

CaPS also offers trainings that are open to all CMU community members:

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Training: MHFA is an evidence-based, international education program proven to be effective in teaching adults how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance abuse challenges among adults. You will build skills you need to reach out and provide initial support to those who are struggling. You will also learn how to connect them to the appropriate support. This training is offered in collaboration with Health Promotions and Student Support Resources. Next training: Monday, March 16, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Register here.

Is there anything else graduate students should know about your office?

Graduate school can be stressful, isolating, and overwhelming at times. CaPS offers confidential support for graduate students dealing with stress, anxiety, burnout, imposter syndrome, relationship concerns, and more. You don’t need to be in crisis to seek help—support is available whenever you need it. Asking for help is a sign of strength. The sooner we ask for help, the faster and more long-lasting our recovery can be. When you are ready, CaPS is here for you.

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